34 replies to this topic

[Nathant2131]

You could always get a super colony of yellow crazy ants! Some guy posted last week about his YCA colony with over 100 queens... not quite army ants but that's at least a LOT of ants.

Could you link me to his thread? It sounds really interesting!

http://www.formicult...zy-ants-colony/

[sericultivist]

I know this thread is a year old but I'd like to say people have had varying success with Cerapachys, a doryline army ant. I've seen some people really struggle with them, and others who have thriving colonies. 

[YsTheAnt]

I know this thread is a year old but I'd like to say people have had varying success with Cerapachys, a doryline army ant. I've seen some people really struggle with them, and others who have thriving colonies.

U have army ants??? Where did u catch em???

[FeedTheAnts]

 

 

I know this thread is a year old but I'd like to say people have had varying success with Cerapachys, a doryline army ant. I've seen some people really struggle with them, and others who have thriving colonies.

U have army ants??? Where did u catch em???

 

He never said that he kept them himself.

Edited by TennesseeAnts, March 20 2018 - 3:27 PM.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I wouldn't say it's unethical. This is a species that regularly kills other ant colonies along with soft bodied arthropods, so removing an army ant colony from the wild could almost be seen as relief to the local ant fauna. That being said it certainly shouldn't be something done by someone without the funds to support it. Army Ants overall are considered an apex predator wherever they occur so you're talking couple thousand dollars in crickets and roaches just to sustain the colony each month.    

 

On a hobbyist scale though it's probably fine to collect a colony fragment (no queen) just to play around with. Neivamyrmex sp. incite interesting reactions with different species, I'm sure Eciton and the other Dorylinae genear provoke similar behavior.

 

 

There's also a few fun videos on Eciton if you're interested.

[YsTheAnt]

Oh my bad

[kalimant]

 

 

 

Interesting video. I remember some Neivamyrmex are specialized towards particular prey...one notable example being a Neivamyrmex sp (can't remember the name offhand) that preys on Wasmannia aurupunctata, which is typically a dominant species...the army ant releases some alarm pheromone that panics the LFA....normally LFA are very potent fighters.
 

[Leo]

I've kept leptogenys and cerapachys before, basically the closest things to army ants that you can keep 

Edited by Leo, March 21 2018 - 2:37 PM.

[anttics]

Hey everyone!
I was looking at some random species of ants and started wondering if anyone here or in the world has ever kept

Eciton burchellii (army ant) as pets. If so, could anyone give me a link to the person who has? Thanks in advance!!!

I believe is possible. If I'm not mistaken. they cover 300 meters a day while foraging. the set up. would have to be a giant circle tube. minimun 300 meter long. throw food across the 300 meter tube. once they break camp to forage. they will circle around and camp up again clinging up the tube. next day repeat. and so on. remember this ants do not dig a nest. they are the nest. all they need is a huge space to forage water. etc... if you agree or not write it. why not. I have you the why it could work.

[Mettcollsuss]

I have a question regarding army ants. I thought that there were two subfamilies of army ant: Dorylinae and Ecitoninae. But on the Eciton page on Antwiki, it says they are in Dorylinae. Could someone help explain?

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I have a question regarding army ants. I thought that there were two subfamilies of army ant: Dorylinae and Ecitoninae. But on the Eciton page on Antwiki, it says they are in Dorylinae. Could someone help explain?

 

I imagine there was a study done to show a common ancestor between new world (Ecitoninae) and old world (Dorylinae) army ants. I've asked Gordon, I'm sure he knows.

[kalimant]

I have a question regarding army ants. I thought that there were two subfamilies of army ant: Dorylinae and Ecitoninae. But on the Eciton page on Antwiki, it says they are in Dorylinae. Could someone help explain?

 

From wiki:

In 2014, Brady et al. synonymized the previous dorylomorph subfamilies (Aenictinae, Aenictogitoninae, Cerapachyinae, Ecitoninae, and Leptanilloidinae) under the Dorylinae.

 

Brady, Seán G; Fisher, Brian L; Schultz, Ted R; Ward, Philip S (2014). "The rise of army ants and their relatives: diversification of specialized predatory doryline ants". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 14: 2–14.

 

[Jonathan21700]

I know of this video someone keeping Labidus.

From reading the comments bellow it seems successful not sure for long term thought.

[gcsnelling]

It would be interesting to know just how long term this was. They looked more like a Neivamyrmex though.

[neoponera]

with the proper setup and species, you can take care of army ants.

 

just not eciton, i would say neivamyrmex or aenictus are easier to keep.

 

there is a guy in this very community taking care of neivamyrmex nigrescens